Improvement in machines for brushing and finishing leather



UNITED STATES GEORGE H. PARKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR BRUSHING AND FINISHING LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,146, dated August l5, 1871.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PARKER, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Machine for Brushing and Finishin g Leather 5 and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detached view of the iinishing-roll.

Similarletters of reference in dicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

rIhe nature of this invention relates to a machine for effecting the brushing and finishing processes in the manufacture of leather in afar better, quicker, and cheaper manner than by the hand process; and it consists in, first, a frame provided with a peculiar sliding table, with a roller journaled in the front thereof, operated by atreadle and springs for manipulating' the skins; and second, in the construction and employment of a roll covered with carpet or other fabric and a brush-roll armed with bristles, either of which may be journaled in the frame and rotated from any convenient source of power for finishing leather in the manner hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing, A represents a suitable frame, provided with journal-boxes c for the reception ofthe brush-roll B or cloth-covered finishing-roll G, either of which is transversely j ournaled therein, when required. The rolls are provided with a pulley at one end, by means of which they may be rotated at a high speed through a belt from any convenient line of shafting. D is a table sliding on feathers b on the inner faces of the upper horizontal frame-timbers at the front side thereof. E is a wooden roller journaled in the inner projecting ends of the table-frame, contiguous to and parallel with the rolls B or C. F is a pair of spiral springs, one end of each being.

secured to the inner end of the table on the under side thereof, and the other to one of the front corner-posts of the frame A, their office being to withdraw the table and roller from the rolls B or C 5 a cord, weight, and pulley may be employed hanger A', and so arranged that when the treadle 4 is depressed the lever will also be depressed. The free end of the lever carries a cross-arm, from which cords c are led to the table, so that when the treadle is depressed the table and roller E will be caused to approach the roll B o1' O, Whichever may be in use.

I do not wish to coniine Amyself to the exact mechanism herein described for moving the table as any equivalent means may be used in lieu threof for the purpose. All tanned skins are finished by either a brush in the hands of the` finisher, or by rubbing them with a soft cloth, if too delicate to stand the action of the brush, or, if they have an artificial grain or pebbling put on, in imitation of goat, Morocco, Russia, or other line leathers. These processes, carried on by manual labor, are slow, laborious, and expensive. To overcome these difficulties has been the object ofthe inventor of this machine, which is used in the following manner:

rIhe operator sta-nds at the front edge of the table with a pile of skins near by to be brushed. Seizing one by the corners he lays it on the table, or rather over the roller, letting' it hang down between it and the brush-roll he then depresses the treadle with his foot until the grain side of the skin is brought lightly in contact with the revolving brush, and commences to draw it toward him until drawn out, when he turns it around on the table, inserts it as before, and brushes the other end; when brushed he releases the treadle, throws the iinished skin aside, and repeats the operation with the next one. This requires but a fraction of the time that the hand process does.

Vhere skins require a dead polish, and skins having' an artificial grain, imitations, skins dyed in delicate shades, and sheep-skin linings are to be finished, the brush-roll is removed from the frame and replaced by awooden roll covered with carpet, felt, or any suitable fabric, and the process completed in the manner already described for brush-finishing. Some kinds of leather, such as hurnesslea-ther, Wax-leathers, 85e., require to be both finished by brushing and rubbing, in which case they are first brushed and nished by the cloth-roll afterward.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a leather-finishing machinefthe construction 

